Seat foe



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KIRBY SPENCER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SEAT FOR WATER-CLOSETS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,866, dated January 17, 1860.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, KIRBY SPENCER, of Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and improvedarrangement of means or de vices for opening, holding open, and closingthe covers of water closets or commodes for protecting upper surface ofclosing cover from being soiled by exhalations from said water-closetsand of preventing persons from standing on said seats while using thesaine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsand to letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l, is a perspective view. Fig. 2, is a view of the under side ofthe top. Fig. 3, is a sectional view of the front. Fig. 4, is a groundplan of the attached improvements on the under side of the top. Fig. 5,is a perspective view of a cleat. Fig. 6, is a perspective view of thesliding cover, with its attached bent projecting plate, and straightprojecting handle. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the sliding cover, thetop and front. Fig. 8, is an end view. Fig. 9, is a transverse sectionof the top and front.

-The method of constructing my invention is as follows: To a watercloset seat, or commode, on its under side, is applied a cover B Fig. 2,made to move in one direction, by the pressure of the leg of a personagainst an attached handle, and in the opposite direction, by means ofan attached cord, ulley and weight; or other means.

A ongitudinal groove A, A, Fig. 2, is cut in the front edge of the top,on its under side, in front of the aperture in the seat, of the lengthof the space occupied by the attached devices to the top, and of a depthand width to receive a bent plate, G, G', Fig. 2, attached to thesliding cover B, Fig. 2. To this sliding cover, there is attached ahandle L, Fig. 2, which projects through a slot F, F, Fig. l, cut in theupper edge of the front, of suiiicient length and depth, to allow thehandle to traverse it freely.

To the sliding cover, at its front edge a bent plate, G, G', Fig. 2, isattached, of suilicient length to extend across the cover, andprojectbeyond the slot, when the sliding cover is thrown to the back endof chamber. This plate is enough wider than the edge of the cover, toreach to the bottom of the longitudinal groove A, A, Fig. 2, and thenturn an angle with the perpendicular portion of the plate, and wideenough to nearly cover the bottom of the groove. In this portion of theplate, is the point of attachment of pulley cord; which attachment, isformed by a portion of the plate, being cut out, and a part of it bentover, forming a hook, as at C, Fig. 6. Also, there is cut a notch K,Fig. 2, in the perpendicular portion of the plate, to permit theattachment of the projecting handle.

To the under side of the top, in front of the aperture, in the seat, iscounter sunk, even with its surface, a plate A, Fig. 4, of such alength, as to extend from Opposite the position, occupied by place ofcord attachment, when aperture is closed, to the middle of the chamberfor sliding cover; and of a width, to project under the groove A, A,Fig. 2, so as almost to touch the perpendicular part of the slidingplate; nearly leaving room for it to play.

A shallow rabbeting B, Fig. 7, and H, Fig. 8, is cut in the upper inneredge of the front, of the length of the groove A, A, Fig. 2, in the top,and of suiicient depth to receive the perpendicular portion of theplate, and allow it to pass t-he side of the pulley, I, Fig. 2, and H,Fig. 8. There is also cut in the front, at that portion which comes inContact with the chamber bottom, a gain I, Fig. 8, in the bottom of therabbeting described for the front edge of the chamber bottom.

On the inside of the upper edge of the front, a gain E, E, E', Fig. 8,is cut, for the bearing of one end of pulley axle; also, a portion e, e,e, Fig. 8, of the front, is cut away, for the weight to pulley totraverse.

In constructing seats of water closets, with the extended crooked shank,a hollow panel z., l1., z, k, Fig. l, is attached, by its sides J, J,

Fig. 4, to the upper edge of the front, behind and below which panel,the bent shank with its projecting handle traverses.

A cleat C, Fig. 2, is attached at the side of the seat aperture, of thelength of the sliding cover. Against this cleat, the sliding covercloses. Another cleat D, Fig. 2, is attached to the under side of thetop, in the rear of the aperture. The form of this cleat, is seen in theperspective drawing of it, Fig. 5. The length of the rabbeting in thiscleat, Jfor sliding cover to traverse, is as much less than the width ofthe sliding cover, as to allow the edge of the bottom of the chamber tolap the edge of the closing cover, When the aperture is closed. Thelength of the rabbeting, forming end of the chamber, must be equal tothe Width thereof. A cleat F, Fig. 2, is attached to the top, at apoint, Where the side of the sliding cover stops, When the aperture inthe seat is open.

The sliding cover B, Fig. 2, with its prov ject-ing handle and attachedbent plate, may

be formed of one piece, and of any substance, cast, or otherwise.

The bottom E, Fig; 2, With its attached cleats,may be formed of onepiece, and of any substance, cast, or otherwise.

In constructing and arranging the block and pulley, the top and front ofthe seat lform the top and one side of the block; the

other side being grooved fromimmediately below the pulley, and of suchlength that the Weight may traverse Vfreely. This block' formed for thepulley, cord, and Weight to Work.

The operation of the invention is asv follovvs, viz: The sliding coveris moved to one side of the aperture in the seat, and held open by thepressure, against the projecting handle, of the leg of the personsitting on lthe seat; When the seat is unoccupied, the

sliding cover closes the aperture in the seat, being moved and heldthere by means of the pulley and Weight, or other means; allsubstantially as described herein.

I have thus described the general character of my invention and themanner of constructing and using the same. y

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-The combination and arrangement of the slot F, F, With the projectinghandles, With straight and bent shanks, E and G, the bent plate, G, G,the combined groove, A, A, formed by the rabbeting B, in the front, andthe groove, A, A, in the top, the plate A, the panel it, h, 71 71, thechamber I, and the easement F, U, constructed in the manner abovedescribed and represented, and for the purpose specified. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before tWosubscribing Witnesses this 1st day of December, A. D. 1859.

KIRBY SPENCER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT S. HALL, GEO. M. DERIKNG.

